Atlanta, Georgia – February 18, 2015 – The International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories (IAOPCC) has announced the first Pet Crematory facility in Louisiana to pass its Accreditation Program.Unforgettable Pets in Slidell, Louisiana as received its Accreditation award making it the first facility in Louisiana with this distinction.

Pet Parents can now feel reassured about the care their deceased animal receives since the worldwide Accreditation Standards were announced for pet cemeteries and crematories by the International Association of Pet Cemeteries and Crematories (IAOPCC).

Founded in 1971, the IAOPCC is not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the standards, ethics and professionalism of pet cemeteries and crematories worldwide.

In an industry with little regulations, the IAOPCC is the only organization with published recommended procedures for every step of the pet cremation process, including, transportation, each type of pet cremation, readily retrievable records, facility standards and continuing education for pet crematorium staff members. Following five years of study and research, these Accreditation standards, processes, and program of inspections were rolled out in January or 2014 across the United States, Canada, and worldwide to its Members.

Prior to Accreditation, Unforgettable Pets owners, Linda & Cody Duplantis, spent several months examining its systems, processes, and procedures to be sure every aspect met the IAOPCC’s standards of quality. Through the IAOPCC’s Accreditation Program, pet crematories are evaluated against a pool of more than 240 standards representing the best practices in pet cremation care and management. An international task force of crematory operators created and continually update the standards to reflect the latest developments and improvements in pet aftercare, pre cremation techniques, records, cleanliness, staff and client safety, and areas essential to excellent pet and client care.

As a largely a self-regulated profession, the pet aftercare profession has little oversight, other than environmental regulations and business licensing. Currently there are only 2 states, Illinois and New York, in the United States that have any legal standards for pet cremation. With the introduction of the IAOPCC Accreditation Program, the IAOPCC has given the industry and the pet owner a measure of protection regarding the integrity of the pet aftercare process from those pet crematories who seek out Accreditation and inspection.

For additional local information, please contact Linda Duplantis with Unforgettable Pets, at 985-768-8338, or the IAOPCC at 1-800-952-5541